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Showing posts from March 11, 2012

Cyber frontier in fighting crime

16 March 2012 BBC NI reporter Cyber attacks are seen as a very low-risk crime as it is hard to find the perpetrators There are new frontiers and frontlines in the fight against crime. Hackers mount cyber-attacks - mainly by sending viruses into computer systems - countless times every day. Cyberspace has no borders and is presenting lucrative opportunities for organised criminals, who steal data and electronic cash. There's an even bigger security issue though. If ever there is a third world war, circuits and servers could be the battlegrounds. These are the issues under discussion at Queen's University's second annual World Cyber Security Summit in Belfast. The keynote speaker is Eugene Kaspersky, a Russian expert who founded Europe's largest anti-virus company. He said cyber-crime is unfortunately a very successful enterprise. "Cyber-criminals have a very easy job because they're just software engineers," he said. "It's very

PKK coders captured in cross-border operation

15 March 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL Five Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists who encrypt messages of the terrorist organization's leaders and pass them on to its militia in the mountains were captured in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the Hürriyet daily reported on Thursday. The captured terrorists are believed to have encrypted the orders of two deadly attacks last year -- one of which took place on July 14 in Silvan, Diyarbakır province, where 13 soldiers were killed and seven wounded when their unit, which was conducting a rescue operation to save three people taken hostage by the terrorist PKK, was attacked. The other incident was in Hakkari's Çukurca district in which 14 soldiers were killed. The five PKK coders were tracked for six months by security units and captured in a cave in northern Iraq. Many electronic tools and equipment were also seized, Hürriyet claimed, adding that the cross-border operation was conducted last Sunday. The d

Libya says Gaddafi spy chief arrested in Mauritania

By Laurent Prieur and Taha Zargoun NOUAKCHOTT/TRIPOLI | Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:19pm IST (Reuters) - Mauritania arrested Muammar Gaddafi's ex-spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, after he arrived on an overnight flight, officials said on Saturday, triggering a three-way tussle for his extradition. Senussi, who for decades before the late dictator's fall inspired fear and hatred in ordinary Libyans, is sought by the Hague-based International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity during last year's conflict. But Libya's new rulers insisted he would have a fair trial there, while France - confirming it played a role in his arrest - stressed his alleged role in the 1989 bombing of an airliner over Niger in which 54 French nationals died. "Today we confirm the news of the arrest of Abdullah al-Senussi," Libyan government spokesman Nasser al-Manee told a news conference in Tripoli. "He was arrested this morning in Nouakchott airport and there wa

American Journalist: MKO Not Supported by Iranian Expatriates

TEHRAN (FNA)- Prominent American journalist Laura Goldman, in a report published on her weblog, interviewed with several Iran-born political experts, and concluded that Iranian expatriates do not support the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK and PMOI). According to a report published by the Habilian Association, a human rights group formed of the families of 17,000 Iranian terror victims, Goldman in a report published on her blog conversed with several Iranian born experts on Iran about the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization and their paid advocates among the US politicians. Earlier this week, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell acknowledged that the Treasury Department is investigating speaking fees he accepted to speak in support of MKO. The American journalist said that all of the experts with whom he spoke are distressed that American politicians are advocating for the MKO, adding, "They also doubt that the money pai

Uganda responds to kony2012 video with its own

(Reuters) - Uganda's government has taken to the Internet to correct a "false impression" about the country it says was created by a U.S. celebrity-backed online campaign to hunt down fugitive warlord Joseph Kony. Uganda, which is spearheading efforts to find the suspected war criminal whose global profile soared after a YouTube video went viral, wants to show the world Kony is not in the country and it is doing all it can to find him. Wanted by the International Criminal Court, Kony is accused of abducting children to use as fighters and sex slaves and is said to have a fondness for hacking off limbs. After founding his Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the 1980s, Kony terrorised large parts of Uganda but his reign of terror has subsided since 2005 and he is now believed to command only a few hundred followers, scattered in remote jungle hideouts in neighbouring countries. "The Kony 2012 campaign fails to make one crucial point clear. Joseph Kony is not in

With peace in the Basque Country in reach, Idaho lawmakers move to commend all parties

03/16/2012 - Since 1972, Idaho's links to the Basque provinces in Spain and France have interested politicians from the late-Sen. Frank Church to longtime former Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa. The Legislature has passed many non-binding memorials pressing the Spanish government to quit persecuting the practice of Basque language and culture and recognize Basque autonomy. Now 95 years old, Cenarrusa and his Foundation for Basque Culture are asking the Legislature to pass one last memorial urging completion of a promising peace process, now that ETA, once classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization has vowed to cease armed activity. In 2002, a memorial sympathetic to ETA was vociferously opposed by the Spanish ambassador during a trip to Boise and prompted the intervention of then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Then-House Speaker Bruce Newcomb cracked that Idaho had declared war on Spain. "This is the last push," Gloria Totoricaguena told

With peace in the Basque Country in reach, Idaho lawmakers move to commend all parties

03/16/2012 - Since 1972, Idaho's links to the Basque provinces in Spain and France have interested politicians from the late-Sen. Frank Church to longtime former Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa. The Legislature has passed many non-binding memorials pressing the Spanish government to quit persecuting the practice of Basque language and culture and recognize Basque autonomy. Now 95 years old, Cenarrusa and his Foundation for Basque Culture are asking the Legislature to pass one last memorial urging completion of a promising peace process, now that ETA, once classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization has vowed to cease armed activity. In 2002, a memorial sympathetic to ETA was vociferously opposed by the Spanish ambassador during a trip to Boise and prompted the intervention of then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Then-House Speaker Bruce Newcomb cracked that Idaho had declared war on Spain. "This is the last push," Gloria Totoricaguena told

Peruvian authorities attempt to rescue children held in Maoist guerilla group

A campaign to rescue at least 50 children still in the hands of the Shining Path, the last surviving remnant of the Maoist guerrillas has been launched by the armed forces of Peru. The military and the government say the head of the group, Víctor Quispe Palomino, who also goes under the name of "comrade José," kidnaps children from local villages, as part of the Shining Path war strategy. The children are being held in camps where they are indoctrinated and trained in the use of weapons. Photos and video footage confiscated from captured Shining Path guerrillas reportedly show dozens of children held by the group, including kidnapped local children from the region and the sons and daughters of 'Senderistas.' LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The rebel group is currently only active in the Apurímac and Ene river valley region which stretches from the southern part of the country's Andean highlands to the central Amazon jungle region. The children are being

Rashad Union, Yemen's first-ever Salafi political party, forms

Ultra-conservative Islamists channel their Egyptian counterparts. Kristin DeasyMarch 16, 2012 Yemen's Salafis on Wednesday formed their first political party, mirroring a move made by their Egyptian counterparts with great success in recent elections there, reported Reuters. Egypt's Salafi al-Nour party recently took the second highest number of seats in the nation's first democratically-elected parliament in years. Yemen's new Islamist party, Rashad Union -- Rashad a name based on the Arabic for "good judgement" – on Wednesday issued a statement outlining their political priorities, among them the implementation of Islamic law throughout the country. They also called for dialogue between Sunni Islamist militants and northern Shi'ite rebels, according to Reuters, with Salafi leader Abdel Wahhab al-Hamqani saying talks were critical in order to "get Yemen out of the cycle of violence." Yemen has seen rising violence as Al-Qaida-linked

Oh no. First it was SOPA/PIPA. Then ACTA…. ...now Berlin wants to build toll booths on the internet.

Siobhan DowlingMarch 16, 2012 06:00 BERLIN, Germany — The internet community is up in arms over a planned copyright law which would force search engines and news aggregators like Google News to pay traditional media firms for publishing snippets of their online content. Media groups in Germany, such as the powerful Springer Verlag, which publishes Bild and Die Welt, and Bertelsmann, have long complained that sites such as Google News are making money off the back of their journalists’ work. They say that, as the original publishers, they should be compensated in some way. Now the government is taking up their cause. In early March, Angela Merkel’s coalition government announced that it would draw up new legislation to compensate publishers. In the recent past, Merkel's government has supported the libertarian status quo on the internet. For example, it opposed the ACTA treaty, which information freedom advocates had fought because of its stringent copyright measures. But

Guatemala sentences ex-soldier to 6,060 years

Former elite forces soldier gets 30 years per killing, plus another 30 for crimes against humanity in one of the worst massacres in Guatemala's history. Mike McDonaldMarch 16, 2012 Former Army Special Forces soldier Pedro Pimentel in Supreme Court of Justice in Guatemala City on March 12. The court handed him 6,060 years in prison for taking part in a 1982 massacre. GUATEMALA CITY — Solomin Hernandez was only 11 when soldiers stormed his village. They ransacked homes, blindfolded civilians and bludgeoned 201 innocent people to death with sledgehammers before dumping them down a 50-foot-deep well. Hernandez remembers the bloodshed in gripping detail. He watched as state forces raped women in public squares, smashed the heads of infants and shot husbands and fathers in a brutal massacre in the Las Dos Erres township that lasted more than 12 hours on Dec. 6, 1982. Now, almost 30 years later, Hernandez has found justice in Guatemala’s courts, where he recently testified against

East Timor elections: what's at stake

If elections go as planned, UN forces may leave East Timor. Kate LambMarch 16, 2012 Fretilin party supporters ride in a caravan as they campaign for their presidential bet Fernando 'Lu Olo' Guterres, a former guerrilla commander, on March 14, 2012. East Timor was officially recognized as independent in 2002 after 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation. (ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images) DILI, East Timor — Crammed atop the roofs of honking buses, bare-chested and hands free, hundreds of young men are tearing through Dili’s streets. Doused in face paint and draped in flags, it feels like the mob mayhem of a soccer match, only it’s a political campaign – East-Timor style. The tiny half-island nation is gearing up for its second presidential election since independence this Saturday, a key test of the nation’s political stability. The vote appears to be a three-way race between the incumbent Jose Ramos Horta, Fretilin Party candidate Francisco ‘Lo Olo’ Guterres and former m

Somali pirates increase brutality

Pirates' torture of kidnapped crew members is becoming commonplace. Tristan McConnellMarch 15, 2012 NAIROBI, Kenya — The crew of the Shiuh Fu-1 had been held hostage off the Somali coast for more than a year this January, when their captors took an exceptionally violent step to extract a $3 million ransom. The pirates held down the Taiwanese trawler's captain, Chao-I Wu, and sawed off his lower arm. Afterward, other crewmembers were forced to phone their relatives. They were allowed to talk just long enough to beg for their lives. Wu’s shocking torture, reported by the Somalia Report website, is an extreme example of a dire trend toward harsh and violent abuse of hostages by Somali pirates. Both sides of the Somali pirate wars have escalated their tactics, and although there have been some successes, the problem appears to be metastasizing. Despite patrols by navies from the US, Europe and Asia, piracy continues to plague Somalia's 2,000-mile Indian Ocean coast, o

IRA could intercept garda calls, tribunal told

Friday, 16 March 2012 A 1988 garda intelligence report stated the IRA had the ability to intercept telephone calls from Garda stations or the private lines of gardaí, the Smithwick tribunal has heard. A 1988 garda intelligence report stated the IRA had the ability to intercept telephone calls A 1988 Garda intelligence report stated the IRA had the ability to intercept telephone calls from Garda stations or the private lines of gardaí, the Smithwick tribunal heard. The report was one of several, summarised to protect the identities of sources, which were read into the tribunal record by Garda Superintendent Brian Brunton. The tribunal also heard that an intelligence report received by Garda HQ from an "external agency" said that a named person who shared the name of a retired garda sergeant was a member of the IRA and involved in the deaths of nine people. The report was later withdrawn. Another report from August 1988 referred to sightings of British agent Peter

US Military Says Drug Violence Spreading Through Central America

Two high-ranking U.S. military commanders say Mexico's violent war against drug cartels has moved into other parts of Central America. Air Force General Douglas Fraser, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that transnational organized crime rings are threatening to overwhelm law enforcement and are "seriously impacting civilian safety" in the area. "Senator, it is - is an effort that we see is moving down through Central America," Gen. Fraser said. "As Mexico increases their pressure, we see that the networks from especially Los Zetas and Sinaloa are moving into Central America. Guatemala is obviously that first location, but we see their - their footprints further down into Central America as well." More than 50,000 people have been killed since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a massive military crackdown against the cartels in 2006. But U.S. Army General Charles Jacoby, the head

India Pursuing Fourth Iranian in Delhi Bombing

Saturday, March 17th, 2012 Indian authorities are going after a fourth Iranian in connection with a plot to attack Israeli diplomats. The Press Trust of India reports Indian authorities Saturday issued an arrest warrant for Masoud Sedaghatzadeh. Malaysian authorities arrested Sedaghatzadeh last month in connection with a failed bomb plot in Bangkok. Indian police said Friday that they believe Sedaghatzadeh was in contact with the three Iranians suspected in a New Delhi bombing that injured the wide of an Israeli embassy official. New Delhi Police Chief Brijesh Gupta announced Friday that India is seeking international arrest warrants for the three Iranians, who have since fled the country. Police have also arrested an Indian journalist working for an Iranian news agency in connection with the attack. Gupta said Mohammad Kazmi's confession was instrumental in uncovering the wider conspiracy and linking the New Delhi and Bangkok plots. The February 13 attack in New Delhi wounde

US-born Jihadist Says He Fears for Life

Posted Saturday, March 17th, 2012 An American-born jihadist in Somalia has said in an online video that he fears his fellow al-Shabab militants may kill him over a difference of opinion. Omar Hammami, who grew up in the southern U.S. state of Alabama and now is known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki, is shown in a black robe and white head scarf, in front of a black flag. In a mix of Arabic and English, Hammami says that he fears his life may be in danger due to disagreements with his comrades over Sharia law and strategy. Hammami is an American citizen who was indicted in Alabama in 2007 and 2009 on federal terrorism violations. He is accused of leaving the U.S. to join the Somalia-based al-Shabab, which the U.S. has named as a terrorist organization. Source http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/03/17/us-born-jihadist-says-he-fears-for-life/

AFP scores NPA for employing children in IED manufacture

MANILA — The Armed Forces condemned the New People's Army for using children in manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) they use in attacking military and civilian targets. "By recruiting children to be part of the armed conflict, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) has manifested its penchant for violating human rights and international humanitarian law," AFP Civil Relation Service head Brig. Gen. Rolando Tenefrancia said. "The death of innocent civilians most especially the children makes the CPP-NPA accountable to the public as these civilians should never become victims of their atrocities in the first place." The AFP CRS chief added communist rebels are using the bomb-making activity as a disguise and enticement to children and adults to join the CPP-NPA movement. Tenefrancia issued this statement after two children, Rodelyn Aquirre, 6, and her sister, Roda, 5, were killed during an IED manufacturing activit

Soldiers seize big NPA camp in Agusan del Norte

Saturday, 17 March 2012 BUTUAN City-Government troops captured one of the biggest New People's Army bases in Caraga after more than a month of intensive military operations, officials said yesterday. Authorities said the seized NPA camp is located in upLand Sitio Kamalig, Barangay Puting Bato in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte. Soldiers reportedly took it last March 13. Officials said the approximately 12-hectare camp served as an alternative base of the NPA's Front 16 under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Command. INTENSIFY. Police and Army soldiers stop a public bus for inspection at a checkpoint in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, where the Armed Forces stepped up operations against the New People’s Army (NPA). Last weekend, an Air Force chopper with supplies crash Landed in the town. PHOTO BY ERWIN MASCARINAS Col. Ronald Albano, commander of the army's 402 Infantry Brigade based in Bancasi, "It was only after our men secured it did we realize how large the rebel

South Sudan’s Army Promises to Free Child Soldiers

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. This week, the army of South Sudan signed a deal with the United Nations to release all remaining child soldiers. That means the world's newest nation could be removed from a list of countries that use children in the military. Radhika Coomaraswamy is a U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict. She announced Friday in Juba that the deal could lead to two thousand more children being released soon. The Sudan People's Liberation Army has released three thousand children since the peace agreement was signed in two thousand five. That agreement ended the civil war with Sudan. The SPLA is a former guerrilla movement. It fought Sudan for many years and secured South Sudan’s independence in July. The South Sudanese people voted in January of last year to separate from the government in Khartoum. Ms. Coomaraswamy says it is important for the army to act quickly on the new deal, signed Monday. The number of child soldier

'Most important haul of FARC weapons seized in a decade': Police

FRIDAY, 16 MARCH 2012 17:25 Colombian authorities have found "the most important haul of war material seized from guerrillas in a decade" in the south west of the country. Colonel Ricardo Alarcon, commander in the department of Cauca, said the alleged FARC cache included, "Missile type grenades, each charged with 40 kilos of explosive R-1, with a huge destructive impact that can cause damage over a 100-meter radius." The police official claimed guerrillas planned to use the missiles against fortified structures of the army, police or banks. "Their size and thickness allow the terrorists to stockpile a large amount of explosives and shrapnel," said Alarcon. Though the recent haul of alleged FARC weapons represents an important success for the armed forces, the police commander said the cache was also a cause for "concern." "It is an important finding that yields some concern [...] They are homemade grenades, but they have been moderni

Santos celebrates Colombia's 1st landmine free municipality

TUESDAY, 13 MARCH 2012 15:02 Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos celebrated Colombia's first landmine free town, said local media Tuesday. Santos attended a ceremony in the central Colombian town of San Carlos in Colombia's Antioquia department to celebrate the town's landmine free status. The president said, "this is a great achievement, thanks to the efforts of the Armed Forces, to clean this town affected by the violence and help it recover. This effort would have been impossible without the help and solidarity of the community of San Carlos." San Carlos Mayor Maria Patricia Giraldo said more than 700 explosives were destroyed in the landmine clean up operation. According to reports, 18 deaths and 154 serious injuries have occurred due to landmines in San Carlos since 1990. Landmines have been used extensively in the on going conflict between the government and Colombian guerrilla groups such as the FARC and the ELN. Colombia's Armed Forces a

Tibetan monk self-immolates in anti-China protest

An overseas activist group and a US broadcaster say a 20-year-old Tibetan monk in western China has become the latest to set himself on fire in protest against Chinese rule. Free Tibet says the monk, identified as Lobsang Tsultrim, self-immolated Friday in front of Kirti Monastery in Aba, a town in Sichuan province that has been under a security lockdown. More than two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire over the last year to protest the suppression of their religion and culture and to call for the return of their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Radio Free Asia also reported that the monk self-immolated. It said more than 1,000 Tibetans demonstrated in neighbouring Qinghai province to call for the release of more than 50 monks who had been detained Thursday amid a crackdown on a monastery. Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tibetan-monk-selfimmolates-in-antichina-protest/924960/

Afghan shooting suspect ‘drunk’, Karzai blasts US

The American staff sergeant suspected of killing 16 Afghan villagers had been drinking alcohol — a violation of military rules in combat zones — and suffering from the stress related to his fourth combat tour and tensions with his wife about the deployments on the night of the massacre, a senior American official said Thursday. “When it all comes out, it will be a combination of stress, alcohol and domestic issues — he just snapped,” said the official, who has been briefed on the investigation and who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The account by the US official, confirmed by a senior official at the Pentagon, came as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was at the “end of the rope’’ over civilian casualties, and angrily accused the US of not sharing information about the 38-year-old soldier. Karzai said villagers’ accounts of the massacre were widely different from the scenario depicted by US military officials. He suggested that the killings could not have been carried o

March by Prachanda son gets funded, Bhattarai daughter gets cricket post

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai took two controversial decisions Friday that will likely have political implications. The cabinet decided Friday to dole out Rs 20 million for a march from Lumbini to Sagarmatha — a Maoist party initiative to raise public awareness for the timely completion of the constitution writing process. Incidentally, Prakash Dahal, son of Maoist party chairman Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” is leading the initiative. Physical Planning Minister Hridayesh Tripathi confirmed the decision. The cabinet headed by Baburam Bhattarai has often come under criticism for abuse of government resources and for lacking transparency by the Opposition as well as a powerful section of his own party — the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) — led by senior vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya Kiran. The government also appointed the Prime Minister’s daughter Manushi Bhattarai, a post-graduate student in Tribhuvan University, as a member of the Cricket Association of Nepal

Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri calls Pakistanis to revolt against govt, army

Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has asked Pakistanis to revolt against their government and military by staging uprisings on the pattern of 'Arab Spring' and labelled the nation's army as "slaves of America". Believed to be in deep hiding, Zawahiri surfaced for the first time in months to post a ten minute video uploaded to jihadist forums, saying that the Pakistan army was in "partnership with America" in a war against Islam. "Cannot a million free people rise from amongst the Muslims of Pakistan to stage a protest against the Generals of Pakistan Army so as to force them to stop their treachery", Zawahiri, 60, said in the video, not dated. The Egyptian cleric now heading the al-Qaeda said his groups would not release an elderly American developmental expert Warren Weinstein, captured in Pakistan last month. "O people of Pakistan! The Arab world around you is surging in a wave of revolution. Tyrants and oppressive rulers are falli

Maldives could face civil war: Dhunya Maumoon

Male, Mar 17, 2012, (PTI) Expressing ''concern'' over Commonwealth seeking early polls, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dhunya Maumoon, today said Maldives could face civil war. Dhunya, daughter of former dictator Maumoon Gayoom said a number of steps have to be taken before an early election date can be announced and it includes conclusion of all-party talks that the present government has initiated. She welcomed the latest statement by Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) but said it's a concern that early election is mentioned. CMAG had this week expressed "disappointment" and "deep concern" at the "lack of progress achieved so far through the all-party talks process to arrive at a political settlement in Maldives that would enable the holding of early elections in the current calendar year, as expected by the Group." However Dhunya in a press conference early morning said that without reaching an agreement

27 dead in Damascus blasts, Syria gears up for monitors

Damascus, Mar 17, 2012, (AFP) Twin bomb blasts killed 27 people and wounded almost 100 others in central Damascus today, state media said, as special envoy Kofi Annan geared up for a monitoring mission to end the year-long bloodshed in Syria. The early morning "terrorist" attacks, timed minutes apart, targeted criminal police headquarters in the Duwar al-Jamarek area and air force intelligence offices in Al-Qasaa district, state television said. "Twenty-seven people, mostly civilians, were killed and 97 others wounded in the two explosions," Health Minister Wael al-Halaqi said on Syria News, another official channel, as angry residents vented their fury at Arab supporters of anti-regime activists. "According to our initial information, they were car bombs," state television said. The broadcaster ran footage of a charred body inside the mangled remains of a smouldering vehicle in Duwar al-Jamarek. "First pictures of the body of one of the terro

Pak panel for special body to probe kidnapping of Hindu women

Islamabad, Mar 17 2012, (PTI): A Pakistani parliamentary panel has directed police and other authorities in southern Sindh province to register cases on the kidnapping of Hindu women and to create a special cell to investigate such incidents. The directives were issued yesterday by the Standing Committee on Human Rights of the National Assembly or lower house of parliament following a meeting at which lawmakers took up the issue of kidnapping and forced conversion of Hindu women. The Supreme Court recently directed authorities to produce three Hindu women who were allegedly kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam by March 26. Two of the women, Rinkle Kumari and Lata Kuamri, have said in statements recorded in court that they had voluntarily converted and married Muslim men. Lower courts in Karachi directed authorities to hold Rinkle and Lata in a state-run women's home till they are produced in the Supreme Court. The Standing Committee on Human Rights said the Sindh P

Osama wanted to kill Obama to create chaos: Washington Post

Washington, March 17, 2012, (IANS) The slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden pushed his organization to develop plans to kill US President Barack Obama, according to media reports citing documents recovered from his hideout in Pakistan. He did so in the belief that the United States would tumble into chaos if an "unprepared" Vice President Joe Biden became commander in chief, several US media outlets including the Washington Post said in article Friday. The Al Qaeda chief's analysis of presidential succession scenarios appear in a collection of classified records that the Obama administration is planning to release to the public in the coming months, the Post said. The documents depict bin Laden as a terrorist leader who was fixated on finding a way to assassinate top US officials but who appears to have devoted more thought to the anticipated fallout from such plots than to how they might be carried out, it said. In a message addressed to his top lieutenant, bi

Hoshiarpur youth among three BSF jawans killed in landmine blast

A Hoshiarpur youth was among the three Border Security Force (BSF) jawans who were killed in a landmine blast in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on March 14. The Naxals blew up the vehicle these jawans were travelling in. The jawan Amandeep Singh, 26, from Nara village in Hoshiarpur was to get married on April 6, said one of the deceased’s relatives. Amandeep was in the 87th battalion of BSF. Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/briefly-region;-hoshiarpur-youth-among-three-bsf-jawans-killed-in-landmine-blast/924690/

Locals detain 75 suspected Bangladeshis in Assam

Guwahati, March 17 (IANS) The people of Jakhalabandha town in Nagaon district Saturday rounded up 75 suspected Bangladeshi nationals for illegally entering the Indian territory. The group included one female, police said. Jakhalabandha is located about 50 km from Nagaon district headquarters and adjacent to Kaziranga National Park, famous for and home to the one-horned rhino. "Local people told us that there has been movement of suspected Bangladeshi nationals in the area for last few days. However, today (Saturday) the local people gheraod the group at Jakhalabandha railway station and informed us," said a police official from Nagaon district. The group was coming from Dhubri on the Dhubri-Silghat passenger express which arrived at Jakhalabandha station Saturday morning. "The group failed to submit any valid document to prove their Indian identities and later admitted that they were on their way to Kuthori near the Kaziranga National Park," said Sub Divis

Police seek Interpol's help in getting Masoud's extradition

New Delhi, Mar 17 2012, (PTI): Delhi Police are seeking Interpol's help in getting Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, the alleged main conspirator in Delhi bombing on Israeli envoy's car last month, extradited to the country. Sedaghatzadeh is currently in the custody of Malaysian police. Sources said investigators have initiated the process of getting Sedaghatzadeh, the head of the module which triggered an explosion in Bangkok and believed to have guided the bombers in Delhi, extradited. The police are approaching the CBI to seek Interpol help in connection with securing the custody of Sedaghatzadeh. According to police, Houshang Afshar Irani, alleged bomber who targeted the Israeli embassy car on February 13, was in touch with Sedaghatzadeh. The police claimed it managed to unravel the conspiracy related to the February 13 car bomb attack on Aurangazeb Road in which an Israeli diplomat and three others were injured, after finding out that Sedaghatzadeh was in touch with Irani.

3,000 rocket launchers, two lakh grenades in Maoists’ arsenal

Hyderabad, March 8, 2012, DHNS: In a riveting disclosure, the state police intelligence said the Maoists’ arsenal comprises over 3,000 rocket launchers and around two lakh rocket propelled grenades. Maoist leader Sadanala Ramakrishna who was arrested from Kolkata last week, has confessed to the police that bulk of the weapons have already reached the destination in Dandakaranya in Chattisgarh. Security agencies claimed that over 1,000 rocket launchers were seized from Ramakrishna last week. There has been a sea change in the design of the rockets from those which were seized in 2006 after arrest of Tech Madhu in the Nallamala forests. “The new rockets are far advanced than those and almost 90 per cent perfect in targets and explosions,” sources in the security agencies said, adding that the Maoists have revived the 'courier system' rather than depending on mobile codes. The rockets designed by Tech Madhu were tested in the Nallamala forests before being used in the

3,000 rocket launchers, two lakh grenades in Maoists’ arsenal

Hyderabad, March 8, 2012, DHNS: In a riveting disclosure, the state police intelligence said the Maoists’ arsenal comprises over 3,000 rocket launchers and around two lakh rocket propelled grenades. Maoist leader Sadanala Ramakrishna who was arrested from Kolkata last week, has confessed to the police that bulk of the weapons have already reached the destination in Dandakaranya in Chattisgarh. Security agencies claimed that over 1,000 rocket launchers were seized from Ramakrishna last week. There has been a sea change in the design of the rockets from those which were seized in 2006 after arrest of Tech Madhu in the Nallamala forests. “The new rockets are far advanced than those and almost 90 per cent perfect in targets and explosions,” sources in the security agencies said, adding that the Maoists have revived the 'courier system' rather than depending on mobile codes. The rockets designed by Tech Madhu were tested in the Nallamala forests before being used in the

Financing terror

Since 9/11 and the Patriot Act, Congress and the administration have sought to cut off would-be terrorists at the source: their bank accounts. But a more thorough examination of these procedures shows that there are both limits and costs to vigorous terror-finance prevention. Late last month, the Fordham Law Center on National Security brought together experts from finance, law, government, NGOs and law enforcement for a conference on preventing and combating terror financing. For the most part, they confirmed the conventional wisdom: thwarting and preventing new attacks is important, and there is an extensive and expanding tool kit for choking off terror at the purse strings. The methods include new banking regulations to monitor financial transactions, the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Asset Control (OFAC) to freeze assets of suspect groups and criminal sanction for capaciously defined “material support” for terrorism. But the experts must grapple with one unavoidabl